Means for locking alpha transmission-housing cover



0. I... JCHNSON MBA! FOR LOOKING A TRANSMISSION HOUSING COVER Filed July 13. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,145

(3. L. JOHNSON MEANS FOR LOOKING A TRANsMIssmN HOUSINGCOVER Filed July 13, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\\\\\\\m\v mmm Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,145

c. L. JOHNSON MEANS FOR LOOKING A TRANSMISSION HOUSING COVER Filed July 15. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

warren star-s s PATENT orries.

COLVIN L. JOHNSON, OF ST. LOUIS, IVIISSOURL ASSIGNOR TO JQHNSQN i i I LOOK 60., A C-DBFORATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

rename-non nocnrne a trnansnrssron-nonsrnef oovnn'.

Application filed July 13, 1822. Serial No. 574,651.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CoLvIN L. JOHNSQN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Louis, in the State of Missouri, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Means for Locking a Transmission-Housing Cover; andl do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact'description of the transmission housing when the transmission gears are in apredetermined position.-

In order to prevent the theft or iniauthorized use of motor vehicles and other gear operated mechanisms, it is customary A in many cases to lockthe transmission gears thereof in a neutral or inoperative position by locking means which are associatedwith the gear shift lever or other shifting device. While such locking means are highly successful in attaining their desired' purpose, it is nevertheless possible in certain cases and the gear locking means, after which the gears maybe shlfted into operative position and the vehicle or other mechanism operated. V

It is an object therefore of the presentinvention toprovide means for l'oclringa removable portion of the transmission housing to the housing while the transmission gears are in a predetermined relative position. I

It isalso an object of this invention to provide means adapted to engage the slid able gear shifting rods of a'transmission housing to prevent removal of the ren1ov able portion of the honsing-eXceptwhen said rods are moved into a predetermined position.

It is another object ofthis invention to provide cover locking means associatedwith a gear shifting rod supplementary means preventing the removal of the shifting rod.

It is an important object of this invention toprovide locking means of the class described which do not interfere With the;

tion with partsflin elevation with partsin elevation illust modified normal operation of the transmission gears and associated mechanisms. f

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in'a preferred form) is shown on the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: p Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a transmission housing showing the gear shifting means and showing thelocking means for the housing coverin section."

Figure 2 isan enlarged section onthe-line 2- 2 of Figure 1. lj ignre 31's anfenlarged fragmentary section on the line 3- 3 of Figure l. 9

fFignre t an enlarged detail section showing one of the lockingdevices for the housing cover.

Figure 5 is afragmentary elevation showingthe gear shifting means with a portion ofthe transmission housing and the locking means" there-for in section according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, v I i 1 .13 igiire '6 is a section on theline66 of Eigurea to remove the transmission housing cover "Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary secsh'o-wing the mecl'ianismsinfloclredfposition.e 1

Figure 'Sjis a fraglnentary sec-tionalview form of locking means.

hignret) is a' fragmentary section with parts in elevation on the line 9 of Figure 8. i i

ng a slightly liignre 10 is asection entire line lO-1O of'l igure. 9 with partsomitted.

Fignrell an enlarged fragmentaryde tail section Oll'l lle line '11.11 of Figure 10.

JXS shown onthe drawings 2 i The reference numeral 1 indicates a transapertured portions 2 and '3 formed at the end of said housingl are gear shift rods 4t and 5 which'have lnwardly facing notched blocks 6 and T mounted thereon, said blocks (land 7 having .nsnal gear shifting'forks. 8 integral therewith and depending therefrom into the housing 1. The top of the housing or casing 1 is closed by a cover which is secured thereon in the usual manner by means of machinescrews 11, and integral with said cover and extending upwardly from the central portion thereof is a dome portion 12 which affords at 13 a universal support for a gear shift lever 14 having a depending portion 15 extending downwardly through the dome-shaped portion 12 and adapted to engage in the notches formed in the blocks 6 and 7 whereby sai d lever may be moved to selectively reciprocate the rods 4 and 5 and Consequently the gear shifting forks 8 to shift the gears into desired relative position. v

A suitable locking mechanism, which is designated by the reference numeral 16, is provided to lock the lever 14 in a neutral position, that is in such a positionthat the notches in the blocks 6 and 7 opposite each other.

Means which are provided for looking'the cover 10 on the housing when said rods4 and are directly -5, areiin' suchneutral position will now be.

described. Said means comprise pins. 17

. which are engaged through apertures in the cover 10 and which are provided with integral ends 18 engaging the upperside of said cover. Said pins 17 extend downwardly into recesses formed in the bosses 2 and arewhere the gears are in operative relation, I said rod 4 LS provided Wltll notches 20 which are adapted to register'with said cutaway portions 18 when the rod is shifted to such position and consequently permit upward V movement of the pins relative to the rod and the removal of the cover 10. The pins 17 are preferably threaded at 21 to engagewith threads formed in the apertures in the cover 10, thereby preventing loss of the pins when the cover is removed, and, as indicated in Figure 4, the heads 18 on said pins may be omitted if desired, said threads 21 suflicfng to prevent relative movement of the cover 10 and the pins. 1

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 inclusive, the rods 4 and 5 are .slidably mounted in bosses 22 and 23 formed at the ends of the cover portion 24 which is secured to the honsIng 1 by means of machine screws 25 engaged through flanges 26 formed on said cover portion and through threaded apertures formed in inwardly extending flanges 27 on type of gear the upper side of the housing or casing 1.

In this embodiment of the invention the gear .tions similar to the cutaway portions 10 which 'slidably engage the rod 4, thereby preventing upward movement of said rod 4 A and of the cover 24 except when said rod is shifted into such position that notches-31 there n register with said cutaway portion, thus permitting the upward movement of said rod and theremoval of the cover.

Figures 8 to 11. inclusive illustrate an application of this invention to a modified shift mechanisms wherein screws or pins 32 having cutaway'portions 33 engaging a slidably Qmounted guide rod 34 are engaged through bosses 35 in a cover 36 and are threaded in apertures in bosses 37 formed in flanges 38 in the transmission housing. This engagement of the cutaway portions 33 with the rod 34 of course prevents removal of the pins and of the cover 36 and means are provided to prevent the slidingiof the'rod 34 in. such a manner as to release the pins 32 when the gear mechanism is locked in neutral position. Said means comprise an extension 39 which is formed on the lower end of the gear shift lever, which is of usual construction a'nd'indicated in general by the reference numeral 40. The extension 39 is adapted to be moved into a notch 41 in the rod 34 when the lever is moved laterally into neutral position and consequently prevents longitudinal move- ,ment of said rod 34 when the lever is in such position. The lever is normally retained in neutral position by-usual retaining means 42, and locked in such position by a suitable lever locking mechanism 4344.

It will accordingly be observed that, this invention'.provides means whereby the cover portion is locked on the transmission or casing at all times except when the gears in said housing or casing are shifted into a predetermined position. It'is therefore apparent that when the locking means of this invention are used in conjunction with locking, means which are adapted to lock the gear shifting means out of such predetermined position, unauthorized removal of the housing orcasing cover and access to the gears is prevented. The cover-locking means of this invention may be used in consions and of locking means therefor and interferes in no Way With the operation thereof.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be Varied through a Wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a casing, of gears mounted therein, means for shifting said gears, slidabfy mounted rods supporting said shifting means, a removable cover on the casing permitting access to the gears When removed, removable means for permitting the removal of said cover When said means are removed, retaining means concealed in said cover and engaging the slidable rods for preventing removal of the cover, except when said rods are shifted to a predetermined position even When said removable means are removed.

2. The combination with a casing, of gears mounted therein, slidably mounted means for shiftin said gears, a removable cover on the casing permitting access to the gears therein when removed, removable means on said cover permitting the removal of said cover When said means are removed, means concealed in said'cover engaging said slidably mounted means for preventing the removal of the cover even when said removable means areremoved except When said shifting means are shifted to a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

COLVIN L. JOHNSON. 

